Describe the Project, its location and its objectives: Cross Roads Reconciliation Services, a non-profit community service organization, has been serving Danville and Pittsylvania County since 2002. The Cross Roads Truth Steps Program was developed in 2008 to facilitate re-entry of adult female ex-offenders and other identified at-risk women; to support the participants in compliance with probation, parole, and community service; and to assist participants with obtaining or reinstating social security cards, driver’s licenses, and securing community service in the payment of financial responsibilities. Another program goal is to reunite women with their children and restore family relationships; and to bring each woman into the productive, healthy, and Godly life.

Recently, Cross Roads received a donation of three dilapidated homes in Danville for the sole use of creating Life Recovery Refuges or Truth Houses. The Truth House Project is designed for collaborating Rotarians to complete the renovation of Truth House #1 to provide shelter, food, and educational programming for females coming out of incarceration. Truth House #1 will accommodate up to six participants and one residency supervisor. Participants will be housed from 2 to 24 months dependent upon their own work in the program.

Extensive demolition work was completed in 2013 by several volunteer organizations: Averett University student association, UMC IMPACT Danville Youth Team, Cornerstone Church of Christ, and Cross Roads volunteers. In addition, the front porch was replaced by the Richmond Diocese Youth Camp, partial roof replacement is in progress by volunteers from God’s Pit Crew, the security and communications systems were installed with free labor by Davenport Communications, and construction debris removal was donated by First Piedmont Corporation. Recently, wiring and plumbing supplies were donated by God’s Pit Crew, and the electrical and plumbing upgrades are being completed by volunteers.

Renovations to be completed by the participating Rotary Clubs and other collaborating organizations include:

John Daniel, a Danville After Hours Rotarian, and President of Daniel Builders, a Class A General Contractor, will be lead volunteer for the renovation project.

This truly is a project of a scale that could not be completed by one Rotary Club but with the collaboration of four Clubs and significant contributions from other community organizations, can be successfully completed with meaningful, measurable and sustainable results. We look forward to reporting to Rotary District 7570 about the lives that will be changed due to the completion of this project.

The grant application states "Expected Number of Beneficiaries - 20." However, this truly will be a much larger number. If we assume that 20 women will live in the house for various amounts of time throughout the first year or two of Truth House #1 being open, we must also assume that their children, siblings, parents, extended family, friends, co-workers, and society in general will be "beneficiaries" of the positive change in these women's lives.

Expected Start Date: 7/1/2014

Expected End Date: 4/30/2015

Expected Number of Beneficiaries: 20

Describe how the project will benefit the community and/or improve the lives of the less fortunate: According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), in 2012, 1 in every 35 adults (2.9%) in the United States were on probation or parole or incarcerated in prison or jail . On the state level, in 2012, Virginia had 37,044 total prisoners of which 2,894 were female as cited by BJS. The Southside Virginia area, an area with the highest unemployment rate in the state, low educational attainment levels, and is challenged by a high degree of intergenerational poverty includes the city of Danville and the largest county in Virginia, Pittsylvania County . Since 2009, Danville and Pittsylvania County combined has the highest per capita rate of incarcerated women in the state.

On a daily average, 600 to 700 women are incarcerated in Danville and Pittsylvania County. Due to probation and release mandates, the number one barrier for women upon release is the lack of housing in the local community to which they are bound. This barrier is the primary cause of recidivism. The Truth House will provide shelter, food, and educational programming for women coming out of incarceration. The Truth House project will continue to decrease the recidivism rate of women in Danville and Pittsylvania County by providing a safe, supportive, structured home for women re-entering the community.

For example, in 2009, Cross Roads partnered with the District 14 Probation Office. Since then, more than 400 women have been through the Truth Steps program. As of October 2013, only two women have re-offended. The Truth House already has a waiting list of eager women wanting to reclaim their lives in a positive, therapeutic environment. (Please read testimonies from program graduates – supporting document uploads.)

From graduate, Lena Wykel: “Often men and women come home from incarceration with no place to go. Women are forced to go back to their dysfunctional lives whether it is an abusive relationship or going back to live with their pimp; just so they won’t be homeless. But when the Truth Houses are open there will be even more hope for these people. They will be able to live in a safe, loving, drug/alcohol free environment until they get on their own feet again. It will give them a chance at a new life and real hope to change their former patterns.”___________ 1) Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics (2012). Total Correctional Population. Retrieved 04 April 2014 from http://www.bjs.gov/index.cfm?ty=tp&tid=11.2)Source: Using a consultant, The Virginia Foundation for Community College Education conducted research on hard-to-reach, underrepresented populations (URPs) in rural communities. The purpose was to identify barriers and opportunities for enrolling this population in higher education.

Expected Total Project Volunteer Hours: 600

Describe the Rotarian hands-on activities in the project (i.e. non-financial participation): There are 250+ members in the four collaborating Rotary Clubs. We expect 75+ Rotarians to be involved in the physical renovations of the Truth House averaging 8 hours per member, for a total of at least 600 Rotarian man-hours.

We realize this is an ambitious schedule. However, it leaves us the flexibility to adjust as needed for weather and human resources to have the entire project completed by the May 2015 deadline.

Describe the publicity plan to inform the general public that this is a Rotary sponsored project: The four collaborating Rotary Clubs are fortunate to have members from several local media outlets. We expect significant coverage in the Danville Register & Bee (daily newspaper) and the Star-Tribune (weekly Pittsylvania County newspaper) as well as online presence with both newspapers. In addition, we will reach out to our local radio stations requesting Public Service Announcements and news coverage of Truth House renovations. In addition, we will pursue a feature spot on WSET TV’s Living in the Heart of Virginia program featuring Cross Roads Reconciliation and the completion of the first Truth House project, led by the four local Rotary Clubs.

Cooperating Organizations – Please list each cooperating organization, if any: The participating Rotary Clubs will collaborate with several cooperating organizations to complete the Trust House renovations, making this a true community service project. First Piedmont Corporation will again donate construction debris removal services. Carpetland USA of Danville will donate vinyl flooring. Cornerstone Church of Christ volunteers, led by licensed contractor James Keatts will volunteer labor and supervision. God’s Pit Crew will volunteer labor and donate construction materials. Tightsqueeze Hardware and Home Depot will provide construction materials at cost, as available.